A Life Worthy

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation…(Ephesians 1:17)

Wisdom, to know that God is working in the world you see.

Revelation, to know that God is working in the world you don’t.

It all comes from the same place,

or rather,

the same Person.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers(Ephesians 1:15-16).

I like this.

I gotta remember this.

See, I pray for my friends–not enough, but I do pray for them. Usually, I’m praying that God will bless them, encourage them, help them through tough times, that kinda thing.

Very rarely do I stop to thank God that they are saved.

Today I will. Today I focus my prayers on thanking God that he has chosen these people, that he has called them to be his own, that they are his and he is theirs. I thank God that he has placed them in my life, in large ways or small. I thank him for the way they bless and love and serve as an example for me.

I will be praying for you, today. Whether or not we’ve ever met, the simple fact that you’re reading this makes you a blessing in my life. You provide me with a reason to rant and ramble, with the possibility that my words might, on occasion, bless a few people. You are my ministry, and I thank God for you.

Close your eyes–not until you’re done reading this–and let God bring to mind the people he has blessed you with. Look at those faces–such as they are–and thank God that he has chosen them, that he decided Heaven would be incomplete without them.

As it would be incomplete without you.

Happy Monday, Beloved

Having heard, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession…(Ephesians 1:14).

It won’t be forever.

It might feel like forever

but 

it won’t be forever.

The day will come.

You will be 

Redeemed

Restored

Ransomed

Rescued

Rehabilitated 

Raptured

and other “R” words I can’t think of at the moment.

Hold tight to your inheritance, and take heart, Beloved.

Happy Thursday

Having heard, you were marked in him with a seal… (Ephesians 1:13).

The Lord of Everything has claimed you as his own. He has marked you, making it clear to all the universe that you are his.

I gotta tell you, if we were talking about anyone else, we’d call that seriously creepy. I mean, if I told you that I tattooed my wife to show that she belonged to me, or had my kids branded…

But God is not like me.

Feel free to “Amen!” that.

God is not like man. He does not need to prove his power or establish his dominance. His seal protects us, it identifies us, it tells the darkness, “This one is mine. Hands off!” It’s like we’re wearing his ring, or his letterman jacket.

If you’ve had issues with people in your life who were possessive or dominating, then this analogy can make you understandably uncomfortable. But I remind you–God is not man, insecure and needy and prone to bullying in an effort to control. He is the Lord of the Universe.

He is also the Lord of Love.

And, yes, the Lord of You.

Rejoice that you are his, and he is yours, and that is good.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:12).

So which “we” is this “we”?

Who were “the first to hope in Christ”?

Well, that would be the Jews–or at least, some of them.

Jesus dealt mostly with the Jews. He spoke to Gentiles occasionally, but it was the exception. The People of the Law got the first opportunity to embrace the One who fulfilled the Law.

And some believed, to the praise of His glory.

Don’t worry, Beloved. Those of us who are not Israel by birth are Israel by rebirth. As Paul has and will explain, this was always the plan. The Gospel came first to the Jews, in fulfillment of his promise. But God’s love cannot be confined by genetics.  He will have mercy upon whom he chooses to have mercy.

And he chooses to have mercy on you.

Happy Friday, Beloved.